


A different way home

by cekirdek



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-01 22:58:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10931769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cekirdek/pseuds/cekirdek
Summary: Natsume takes a detour home, where he overhears something he wishes he didn't.





	1. Chapter 1

Natsume would say this last week or so was rather slow for him. He barely encountered any youkais -other than Nyanko sensei- which almost none of them being vicious at all. It was an improvement, and definitely in the right way.

As the said slow days was stretched to its 9th day he thought of taking a different route home, for no particular reason. Nyanko sensei was run off somewhere, leaving him behind, hence he saw nothing wrong with wandering off somewhere himself. The weather was nice.

He went inside the small forest framing the river, following the small trace of a road. An old one.

He went along wherever it took him, enjoying the green scenery and all the colourful flowers as it went. Still, nothing worrying or out of the ordinary in sight. He felt calm.

As he saw the small path he’s been following parting into two he heard something.  
Or someone, singing or chanting, almost.  
It sounded rather cheerful more than anything, but it wasn’t giving his heart any peace. It felt eerie.

He stopped, rocking back and forth slightly, debating whether he should even go any further to meet the crossroad.

He took his chance.

As he went closer he started paying attention to what who he assumed was a youkai was saying.

“Rejoice, my friends, rejoice. Peace has finally came over to these lands and far beyond. Rejoice, rejoice!”

Natsume went a bit closer, right before the crossroad where he could see the youkai through the branches. It was standing up while another bunch was sitting down, listening.

“The hunter’s life is claimed! He’s gone, he’s gone. Rejoice, my friends, rejoice!”

He kept watching the scene. How the youkai moved, and how the rest did not.

“O was he the traitor, his entire damned bloodline. Can’t you feel the air clearing up, the miasma fading away?”

He was getting more confused as uneasiness started to settle in his stomach. Though, he didn’t understand. He didn’t know what the youkai was talking about. He couldn’t.

“His soul has been clawed out of his chest, to linger. He will not be given a solid form, he will not meet peace, he will linger. Damned, troubled, sick.”

The uneasiness quickly turned into physical pain in his stomach, joined by drowsiness. He had to turn away from the scene, later falling onto his knees as quietly as he could manage. He couldn’t comprehend what it all meant, but he also somehow knew, didn’t want to admit, or believe.

“The exorcist is dead! His long promised eye is claimed, along with his body, along with his soul. Rejoice, rejoice!”

Tears fell onto his hands as they tried keeping him up. They couldn’t for long.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsume and Natori try to see if what the boy heard in the forest reflects the truth at all

"Natsume." 

Natsume lifted his head. His eyes were swollen, with his entire face red. He didn't look good.

Natori found him, it seemed, after his collapsing. He couldn't remember how he got out of the forest, but there he was, on a bench with Natori.

He didn't know how to tell him what he heard when he was there, but also why that got him so upset to push him to the point of collapsing. He didn't want to tell. And if Natori already knew about it, he didn't want to hear.

"Natori-sa--" he barely forced from his throat, too sore to utter another word.

"What is it? Was it a youkai's doing?"

He opened his mouth to answer, only for a whimper to escape. He quickly covered his mouth to keep it in, then his face to hide the newcoming tears.

A second later, both were out freely.

Natori put a hand on his back for as much support as he could offer him at that moment. He kept quiet, asked no questions, even after he pried him off the bench and made him walk around with him, wishing it'd make him come back to his senses soon.

After what he assumed half an hour has passed, Natsume replied.

"I'm sorry, Natori-sa--" 

Natori put a hand on his shoulder, gently squeezing it.

"You shouldn't be sorry for something like this, Natsume." he said with a smile. "Would you like to talk about it now?"

"Yes, please."

"Alright. I'm listening."

Natsume fidgeted with his fingers, not looking at Natori.

"I've.. I've heard something. From a youkai."

"Yes?"

"Natori-san, Matoba-san. Did he die?" With that a hiccup escaped his lips, then he covered his mouth. 

Natori couldn't understand, at first. One could tell from his face. He looked at Natsume, who was facing down, then his mind went to what he said, and where he could hear such a thing from.

If it was true.

Last time he'd seen Matoba was quite a while ago, but that didn't prove anything since they had no friendship of any sort, therefore no need to meet every other week.

If he heard anything from him, that didn't mean anything, either. He was quite the outsider to other exorcists' works.

The most reasonable explanation that came to him was that Natsume's been tricked. But for him to be this shaken by it...

"Natsume." he called.

With the call the boy looked up, daylight highlighting red bits in the corner of his eyes. One hand went over his throat to press slightly, before he coughed a few times. It looked painful.

"Who told you that?"

"I overheard." he whispered, the best his throat could manage.

"In the forest."

The boy nodded.

He figured who he heard it from couldn't be human, since no man would likely have business that deep in the forest.

"Youkai like tricks, you should know that."

Natsume took his time before answering.

"You think that was it?" His voice didn't sound spiteful, but rather hopeful. Clear that he'd never considered the possibility.

"Let's assume it is until we have a solid info, how does it sound?" he smiled before tapping the other's chin softly. It didn't make his tears stop but his breathing improved noticeably, one could tell.

They walked for a while and shared no words. Natori thought once they sat down somewhere he'd make a few calls to dig more, in front of Natsume or by himself, he didn't know, yet.

He' d figure it out on their way.

* * *

They eventually wandered close to the cafe they came together long before they were any close. He figured they might as well go in, then have Natsume eat if he was lucky. From the way things looked it was going to be too late for him to go home and have dinner early enough.

Once they were in, Natsume picked their seats, coincidentally the table they were seated the last time they were here as well.

After both were seated, Natori handed him the phone.

"You should let your guardians know you're with me. They must be worried."

Natsume nodded and quickly dialed a number. Silence took over for almost a minute before Natsume handed him his phone back.

"No one picked it up."

Natori briefly nodded, before his gaze fell. He gave himself a moment to prepare himself before he got a hold of the phone to see who to call.

As he went through the list of names he figured he'd ask who was the closest to Matoba.

He hit the call button and put the phone against his ear.

_"Natori?"_

_"Ah, yes, Nanase-san. Good evening. How are you?"_

_"..To what do I owe the pleasure of this call, exactly?"_

Natori sighed, not necessarily against the speaker.

_"Yes, I'd like to know if Matoba-san is with you? I couldn't reach him no matter what, you see."_

_"...He isn't with me."_

_"I see. Then, do you know when he'll be back? I'd like to contact him as soon as I can."_

_"He's at a job, I don't know when he'll be back."_

_"Well, how long has he been away?"_

_"Natori, what is with all the questions?"_

_"..."_

_"I'll let him know you called when he returns. Goodbye for no--"_

_"Nanase-san!"_ Natori's voice suddenly got louder, enough to make Natsume jump from his seat. Upon seeing the boy's reaction, he concluded it wasn't be a good idea to have this conversation in front of him.

"I'll be right back, okay? You can order some food for both of us." he said to him quietly, away from the speaker and rushed outside.

_"Nanase-san, are you still there?"_

_"I am."_

_"I actually would like to know about Matoba-san's whereabout for a different reason."_

_"...I don't follow."_

_"Nanase-san, would you know why the youkai near the Yatsuhara field would spread a rumour about Matoba-san being dead?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote another chapter yay ✊  
> Hope you guys like it and look for the upcoming chapters as well. I'd say this'll continue for maybe only one or two more chapters.

**Author's Note:**

> Helloo. I wanted to write something about Matonatsu since it has a different place in my heart, but it turned out kind of underwhelming. Hope you like it anyway ✌


End file.
